VIPRE Strikes Back at Malware

Sunbelt's VIPRE Antivirus 4.0 does a good job cleaning up and keeping out malware, and the company's support policies are admirable.

Sunbelt Software's VIPRE Antivirus 4.0 is like one of those bright kids in class who knows the answers but doesn't show off. It does a very good job at cleaning up malware and keeping malware from infesting a clean system, though not quite as good as the very top products such as Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 and Norton Antivirus 2010. It does offer some bonus tools more commonly found in security suites than in standalone anti-malware programs, and I especially like Sunbelt's support policies.

I've commented on the different ways security companies think of tech support. Sunbelt's policy is very clear. When
you buy VIPRE they will make sure it cleans up any malware on
your system. If the malware keeps VIPRE from installing their tech
support experts will handle the situation. If VIPRE can't clean up a
problem they'll work through any necessary remediation. As you can tell,
I like this policy.

In my own testing I ran into problems installing VIPRE on two
malware-infested test systems. Tech support pointed me at the free VIPRE Rescue
command-line scanner, which cleaned up both systems enough to allow
installation of the full product. This VIPRE Rescue scanner is free for
anyone to use; give it a try if your anti-malware software needs a
helping hand. Just remember to download a new copy on each use, as
Sunbelt updates it daily with the latest malware definitions.

As for those bonus tools, VIPRE includes a secure deletion ("shred")
utility, a cleanup tool for erasing traces of browsing and other
computer use, and an advanced "PC Explorer". This last tool offers a
view of numerous system areas that can harbor malware. For example, it
will list all running processes, all installed browser add-ons, and all
programs that launch at startup. It flags each program as safe, unknown,
suspicious, or hazardous. Advanced users will definitely appreciate
these tools.

VIPRE did well in my malware-removal tests and even better when I
tested its ability to protect a clean system. I do have some concerns
about its behavior-based advanced protection, but that feature is
turned off by default. For more details, see my full review of VIPRE Antivirus 4.0.

Neil Rubenking served as vice president and president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years when the IBM PC was brand new. He was present at the formation of the Association of Shareware Professionals, and served on its board of directors. In 1986, PC Magazine brought Neil on board to handle the torrent of Turbo Pascal tips submitted by readers. By 1990, he had become PC Magazine's technical editor, and a coast-to-coast telecommuter. His "User to User" column supplied readers with tips...
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